Coronary heart disease: Cardiologists call for better prevention

The coronary Coronary artery disease (CAD) is a chronic condition in which the heart muscle is insufficiently supplied with blood. In most cases, CAD is caused by cholesterol-rich deposits (plaques) in the walls of the coronary arteries. These plaques lead to thickening of the vessel walls and ultimately to narrowing of the vessels. Possible complications include angina pectoris, sudden cardiac death, and heart attack.

According to the 2025 German Heart Report , which the German Heart Foundation has now presented together with medical societies, around 4.7 million people in Germany are living with a diagnosis of coronary heart disease. In 2023, the reporting year of the current Heart Report, coronary heart disease was the most common reason for hospitalization, with 538,675 hospital admissions. Of these, 185,804 were heart attacks. 119,795 people died from coronary heart disease in 2023, 43,839 of whom died from acute heart attacks.

Per 100,000 inhabitants, the CHD-related death rate was 133.3, which represents a decrease compared to previous years but is not a good figure by European standards. In a press release, the German Society for Cardiology – Heart and Circulation Research (DGK) cites data from the European Union, according to which, in Denmark, for example, only 56.7 people per 100,000 inhabitants died of CHD in 2022. The European average, at 109.3 deaths per 100,000 inhabitants, was also lower than the German rate that year.

Professor Dr. Holger Thiele, former president of the German Society of Cardiovascular Diseases (DGK), therefore put the positive trend in coronary heart disease-related mortality into perspective: "Although the number of deaths from coronary heart disease and heart attacks has decreased significantly, coronary heart disease remains one of the most common causes of death in Germany. Even declining mortality rates do not diminish its threat." It is crucial to treat risk factors consistently and early on.